A potential political storm could be brewing over Government’s proposed Barbados Citizenship Bill, 2025, which critics warn could drastically lower the bar for becoming a Barbadian and potentially erode the global standing of the island’s prized passport.
The Bill, which seeks to repeal and replace the existing Citizenship Act, Cap. 186, was recently laid before Parliament and has already drawn sharp criticism from attorney and Democratic Labour Party candidate for Christ Church South, Corey Greenidge.
He has accused the Government of failing to properly inform Barbadians of the farreaching implications of the proposed changes and of offering no convincing explanation as to why such sweeping reforms were necessary.
Among the provisions raising eyebrows is a proposal to significantly shorten the residence requirement for foreign nationals to qualify for naturalisation. Under the existing law, a person must reside in Barbados continuously for 12 months before applying and within the preceding seven years must have lived here for at least five years – effectively a total of eight years of residence.
Greenidge said this standard aligns closely with the requirements of Barbados’ Caribbean neighbours.
However, under the new Bill, CARICOM nationals would only need to reside in Barbados for six months within a two-year period to qualify, while non-CARICOM nationals would become eligible after just nine months within three years. Greenidge warned this could open the door for an influx of new citizens in an alarmingly short time.
“The Government has not properly explained why these changes are necessary or what benefit they bring to the country. This is not merely an administrative tweak, it has profound implications for who can call themselves Barbadian,” he said.
He further stated that once granted citizenship, new nationals automatically become eligible to register as voters under the Representation of the People Act. That means a CARICOM worker who has been resident for just six months within two years could soon have
the right to cast a ballot in a Barbados election.
Political analysts have drawn comparisons with Antigua and Barbuda, where similar relaxations in citizenship rules were followed by allegations that newly enfranchised voters tended to support the Government that facilitated their entry.
Beyond politics, Greenidge fears that the proposed changes could also undermine the international reputation of the Barbados passport.
The 2025 Nomad Passport Index ranks Barbados 47th worldwide, the highest among Caribbean countries and equal only to The Bahamas. That ranking reflects the island’s strong visa-free travel privileges, stability and credibility in global immigration systems.
By contrast, nations that have adopted more lenient citizenship pathways have seen their rankings plummet. Canada revoked visafree travel for St Kitts & Nevis in 2014 and Antigua & Barbuda in 2017, citing concerns over citizenship-byinvestment programmes. In recent years, the United Kingdom imposed visa restrictions on Dominica and Trinidad and Tobago due to perceived migration risks.
“Barbados has worked hard to build and maintain the reputation of its passport,” Greenidge said. “If the country starts granting citizenship in six or nine months, industrialised nations could start viewing us as an immigration risk and that could mean new visa barriers for Barbadians,” he cautioned.
He urged Government to explain the rationale behind a “potential devaluation” of Barbados citizenship, arguing that the nation should not gamble with its global reputation or the sanctity of the right to vote.
(CLM)
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